When asked about her upcoming gig as the opening act for Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood’s two-man improv show, she said she was so excited that she Googled them.

Her sense of humor is fitting for what she loves to do — comedy.

Kahaney will bring her stand-up routine to Norfolk on Saturday, Dec. 14, when she warms up the audience for “An Evening with Colin and Brad” at the Divots DeVent Center.

“Ordinarily I’d say (the audience could expect) juggling fire, but TSA makes it so complicated to bring my torches,” Kahaney said. “So I’d say mainly lots of laughs to get the energy going and setting the tone for a stellar evening of comedy.”

Since overcoming stage fright at the age of 29, Kahaney made it to the season one finale of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and also has appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”

At the 2013 Great American Comedy Festival in Norfolk, she was one of the finalists featured in the stand-up competition.

“It was such a fun festival,” Kahaney said. “Norfolk really rocks.”

The thought of returning to Johnny Carson’s childhood town to perform has had an impact on Kahaney.

“Well, it’s bittersweet because I am the generation of comics who grew up watching Carson, but by the time I was ready to even try out for the show, he was long gone from television,” she said. “So you have enormous respect, certainly, but you also feel sad that that ship sailed without you.”